Morning journal and courier., 1887-10-26

in the salon, when our bedroom door was
cautiously opened, and in marched Mr..
Thackeray, my mother following him, hold
ing candle. There were three little iron
beds all in a row; saw him smiling at us,
and then, putting his hand in his pocket, he
murmured: 'Now for the distribution of
medalsl" and ehuckling, he deposited on
each of our pillows bright fve-franc piece,
remarking: "Precious little ones! they will
think the fairies have been here"
One afternoon as I was taking a walk with
my father in the Champs -Elvsees we met Mr.
Thackeray and he stopped to have talk.
Some public character was mentioned-I for
get who, but evidently someone that Thack-
cray disliked, for he certainly poured forth a
torrent of strong scathing words. I had
never seen him before look angry or speak in
a vexed manner, so was rather frightened.
Whilst talking I noticed that Mr.. Thacke-
rays eyes wandered toward a poor, delicate
woman holding in her arms little child; she
was leaning for support against tree and
was evidently in great destitution; without
making any remark, he walked up to the wo-
man, inquired into her condition, and on
learning her troubles slipped into her hand
several small silver pieces.
Mr.. Thackeray often made us little ones
laugh heartily with his droll stories and
ways. He one day spied my crinoline,
which was on a chair in the nursery; he ex-
amined it carefully, and to my horror put his
head through the aperture and walked into
the drawing-room with it round his neck,
looking like Michael Angeles statue Of
Moses
t'I am an ogre nowl" he exclaimed. sIm-
agine, my dears, that have a cropped red
head. blue eyes and very big lunettes!" And
forthwith he related to us wonderful adven-
lures, making US laugh and cry just as he
wished.
A few years later we came to live in Lon
don; my father through no fault of his own
lost lucrative appointment in Paris; it was
period of much anxiety; my second sister
fell dangerously ILL Mr.. Thackeray's good
ness and kindness to us all were beyond
words. He called nearly every day at our
house in Thistle Grove, himself bringing
delicacies of all sorts to tempt the appetite of
my invalid sister. His cook, who was cor
don-bleu, had received orders to exert her
culinary powers to their utmost, and she
made the most exquisite dishes and jellies.
I remember a note from Thackeray to my
mother with the words "a Last Appeal
written in capital letters, begging that the
jellies should in the future be made with old
sherry or the best madeira. The doctor had
ordered claret. One day Thackeray walked
up to our house carrying a rug of very
bright, pleasant and cheerful colors uader
his arm, which he himself laid down on the
floor Of my sisters room, thinking it would
tend to raise her spirits. With children he
was always delighted; with older or with un-
sympathetic people he could be satirical,
cold and cynical. He one day remarked to
an acquaintance in my hearing that he only
liked "second-rate books, second-rate wo-
men, but first rate wines.o
Mr.. Thackeray had talent for drawing, but
he was never satisfied with any of his
achievements. My father called upon him
one morning and found him fretting over a
drawing OF his own.
''Look," he said. 'Now G. (mentioning
some clever draughtsmsn), by few touches,
throwing some light or shadow here and
there, would make this picture. How it is
know not, but certainly cannot do it at
ALL"
Thaekeray sometimes looked worried, and
I once heard him say that he suffered from
mental depression.
"My number (sCornhillD is nearly due and
l cannot make it comel" he exclaimed, tap
ping his forehead. eyes, I would like to
rest my head in some quiet corner; had
nice scene this morning, but tits all gone and
I cannot call to mind bit of it nowl"
My father, who was full of intellect, which
Thackeray fully appreciated, was a shy,
dreamy, unobtrusive man, with a great deal
of pride and perhaps over constituencies. In
his time of trouble Thackeray was more than
brother to him. My mother told me that
when he heard for the first time Of my faith
er's pecuniary loss he was very agi6ated, and
turning to my mother he asked her what she
was going to do.
'I mean to trust to the Ravens" she an
swered.
An expression of pain fitted over the
great mans face, but after few seconds of
silence he put his large hand over hers and
in a husky voice said: "And SO you may;
the Ravens are kind friends"
At large dinner it happened that my
fathers name was mentioned. Thackeray,
Il. :. Iaa- I,s..
exclaimed, "When Corkran dies he will go
straight to heaven and all the angels will
turn out and present arms to him!"
But William Makepeace Thackeray was
beokoned away many years before my father
was to join the great majority. His death
made blank which has never been filed up.
When great men are called away the world
at large feels their loss and knows that their
places are empty, but still have the works of
their genius on which to feed and by which
they may remember them; but to those who
have loved them and met them in the easy,
kindly intercourse of every day life, who
have received their love and consultations in
time of sorrow, and have mingled with their
tears and laughter no one can fill for them
the empty seats, and the heart goes back in
longing to the days they were among us.
This is but rough, inadequate sketch,
but to those who cherish his memory even a
passing moment with such a man is worth
the most precious place in ones remem-
brance. Thackeray was not a character to
be hit off with few broad strokes, for there
lay underneath the ever~yarying surface a
deep fountain of tenderness, ever ready at
the call of need and suffering.
His hatred of humbugs and snobs was
proverbial, but he loved all that was simple
and sincere.
Among guileless. happy children Thacke-
ray was at his best